Bl. Leopold of Gaiche

Blessed Leopold of Gaiche Born in the diocese of Perugia, son of humble parents was christened John. A neighboring priest helped him with his education and in 1751 , at 18 he received the Franciscan habit in the friary at Cibotola taking the name Leopold. He became a priest in 1757 and was sent to preach Lenten courses of sermons which soon made him famous.He was made papal missioner in the States of the Church and held missions in several dioceses after he had become minister provincial. He suffered under Napoleon's forces in Rome and had to abandon his convent but later after the soldiers left he continued his preaching. His fame was enhanced by his prophetical powers and by strange phenomena which attended him for example when he was preaching his head often appeared to his congregation as though it were corwned with thorns. He died on April 15, 1815.